Hello everyone

It’s been a while since I wrote a piece for the wonderful Acorn News - apologies for the long silence between the already very occasional articles; it’s been a particularly hectic time.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the ways in which we celebrate art and culture, and how we can break the daft notion that art is a kind of la-di-dah pursuit for posh people, and not for “the likes of us”. I think that the steady erosion of arts subjects in schools has definitely contributed to this idea. If art, music and drama aren’t made available to everyone - and particularly in practical, hands on ways - then it stops being part of our language of communicating.  I’ve seen lives transformed by art too many times to mention - and not always in ways that you can quantify. These so-called “soft subjects” are a gateway to the cultural industries (which bring about £1.4 billion to our economy every year, and remain one of our greatest exports) and have been the saving grace for thousands of talented people who struggled academically but excelled in their chosen artistic field, who have gone on to become some of our greatest writers, actors, producers, bands.

Private schools like Eton pour tens of thousands of pounds into their music and theatre departments - not, I believe, because they necessarily want to produce the next generation of artists, but because they know that the Arts boost self-esteem and creativity, communication skills, empathy and lateral thinking.

They give young people confidence, motivation and direction. And joy! And so they should be available to all our young people; not just those who are expensively educated.

It was heartening to read the many stories and poems from schools across the borough that were sent as entries for the Winter Writing Trail last December, where winning work by the young people was displayed in business windows in the centre alongside the words of established Accrington writers like Jeanette Winterson, Graham Caveney and David Swann.

The take up from our secondary schools was a bit disappointing, but with exceptions- notably Hollins School, who fully engaged with multiple entries, and of an outstanding quality too. Poet Waqer Ali has been working with the pupils there for some time, teaching creative writing, and this was absolutely reflected in the beautiful work that I was lucky enough to read. We have such a rich heritage of writing talent in the town, and this was on full display when a group of talented young spoken word artists from the Respect and Dignity Arts Group performed their work at the fabulous Connecting Cultures event at Haworth Art Gallery and Park in June.

I’m really excited about the plans for investing in culture in Hyndburn, and the long-time efforts of so many people across the borough is starting to bear fruit. The new Accrington Pals memorial garden and sculpture, Oakfest, which looks like it’s going to be an absolute blast, the really exciting plans for the new heritage and culture centre, and the ambitious conversations taking place about access to music for school children in Accrington and surrounds. Plans are afoot for many more events like Connecting Cultures, which was a beautiful weekend of dance, music, poetry, puppetry, art and craft from all the different vibrant communities in our town. I went to a ukulele lesson in the huge inflatable luminarium sculpture, dropped in to an Islamic art session, ate delicious food, met lots of new people and felt very proud to be from Accy.

Hundreds of people visited our world famous art gallery for the first time.

It’s often hard to advocate for arts funding when people are struggling so desperately. I have been part of the year-long campaign to reopen Oldham Coliseum, seeing for myself how the closure of that beloved theatre has impacted the entire town. Businesses closing everywhere and the town centre suffering. Any progressive urban regeneration starts with art and culture- where there are theatres, studios, galleries, concert halls, cinemas, there are visitors, who also want to eat and drink and stay, and even LIVE. But aside from the indisputable economic advantages, culture gives the inhabitants of a town a sense of place, of community, of civic pride. In the words of the old song, we need bread, but we need roses too.

This is just the beginning for Hyndburn. There are some fantastic and passionate people and organisations who are full of big ideas and dreams for the town: a yearly writing trail, a textile tunnel, a performance space, a linear canal side park, murals, festivals, the opportunity for every child to learn a musical instrument, a place to celebrate our rich literary history. The sooner we can revitalise Accrington and Rossendale College the better.

Bring back the nationally recognised drama, music, media, visual arts and catering departments. Let’s bring all the diverse communities together through food and music and culture.

Let’s reopen the youth clubs and kit them out, not just with pool tables and games consoles but with state of the art media hubs and recording equipment so we can nurture the talent of the future, and put Accrington on the map once more. Let’s revitalise the arcade - offering space to artists and makers for a peppercorn rent - bringing creative people to the town and keeping them. Let’s make it possible for people to open businesses that revitalise the high street. Let’s reopen the much missed Oswaldtwistle Civic, a place where people have enjoyed engaging in and making and watching theatre and dance for decades.

The brilliant organisation Arts Emergency, which works to open up access to the arts to young people from less advantaged backgrounds, has a couple of mottos that really resonate for me. The first is “You can’t be what you can’t see”- basically, if no one ever puts a pencil or a violin or a ukulele in your hand, you’ll never know if you’re a brilliant artist or musician. Or even an average one who wants to pursue it as a hobby! If no one gives you the opportunity to speak your poetry, to find a way to express yourself, to act in a play, to sing in a choir, to use a mixing desk or edit a video - then you’ll never know what you could have achieved; the worlds that might have been available to you, the friends you might have made, the pleasure you might have experienced and shared.

Their other motto? “Optimism is a superpower.” Let’s celebrate our many different heritages, and start looking forward with hope for the future now, and for our wonderful town and all it potentially has to offer.

Julie Hesmondhalgh - Actor and Writer